Results 7,801-7,820 of 17,531 for speaker:Jan O'Sullivan

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Educational Disadvantage (21 Oct 2014)

Jan O'Sullivan: DEIS is my Department's main policy initiative to address educational disadvantage and its aim is to ensure that the educational needs of children and young people from disadvantaged communities are prioritised and effectively addressed. As the Deputy may be aware, the DEIS programme is the subject of ongoing evaluation by both the Educational Research Centre and my Department's...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Staffing (21 Oct 2014)

Jan O'Sullivan: The staffing schedule at primary level operates on the basis of 1 classroom teacher for an average of every 28 pupils. More favourable ratios operate in DEIS schools. Teachers are allocated at post-primary level on the basis of 1 teacher for every 19 pupils (23 pupils in the case of fee-charging schools and 18.25 pupils for DEIS schools). The staffing arrangements for the 2015/16 school...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Libraries (21 Oct 2014)

Jan O'Sullivan: 30 DEIS schools currently have a demonstration library through the Junior Certificate School Programme (JCSP). While I have no plans to expand this particular scheme, it may be noted that all DEIS schools are free to use funds from their DEIS grant to meet identified educational needs within their pupil cohort, including library facilities.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Minor Works Scheme Restoration (21 Oct 2014)

Jan O'Sullivan: Circular Letter 0062/2013 which was published as the Minor Works Grant for the school year 2013/2014 issued last November states "the grant will only be paid in future years as funding permits". The focus under the Infrastructure and Capital Investment Programme 2012-2016 is on meeting the demand for additional school places. Consequently, there is no funding provided at this time in the...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Contractors (21 Oct 2014)

Jan O'Sullivan: School building projects which are funded from public monies, are required to use the forms of contract provided under the Capital Works Management Framework which includes a suite of public works contracts, standard conditions of engagement, model forms, suitability assessment questionnaires and guidance notes published by the Office of Government Procurement (OGP). The OGP is an office...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Library Services Funding (16 Oct 2014)

Jan O'Sullivan: I propose to take Questions Nos. 186 and 206 together. I am pleased to inform the Deputies that €10 million will be made available next year for the library project to which they refer. This project is one of the three major capital projects in Irish universities which will benefit from the €20 million of funding in 2015 that formed part of my budget announcement on Tuesday,...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Apprenticeship Programmes (16 Oct 2014)

Jan O'Sullivan: The Government recognises the importance of a modern well-functioning apprenticeship system in meeting skills needs and supporting economic growth. As part of the Government's Action Plan for Jobs initiative my Department undertook a review of the Irish Apprenticeship system to determine whether the current model should be retained, adapted or replaced. The review was tasked with taking into...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Languages Programme (16 Oct 2014)

Jan O'Sullivan: Teacher allocations to all second level schools are approved annually by my Department in accordance with established rules based on recognised pupil enrolment. The criteria for the allocation of posts are communicated to school management annually and are available on the Department website.In accordance with these rules each school management authority is required to organise its subject...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs Staffing (16 Oct 2014)

Jan O'Sullivan: I wish to advise the Deputy that my Government committed, as part of the budget announcements which were made on Tuesday of this week, to providing 480 extra new Resource Teachers and 365 new Special Needs Assistant posts to support children with special educational needs in schools in 2015. This is in addition to 6,225 Resource Teaching posts which are currently available to the National...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs Service Provision (16 Oct 2014)

Jan O'Sullivan: I wish to advise the Deputy that a significant number of sections of the Education for Persons with Special Educational Needs (EPSEN) Act have been commenced, principally those establishing the National Council for Special Education (NCSE) and those promoting an inclusive approach to the education of children with special educational needs. Section 2 of the EPSEN Act, which has been...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Staffing (16 Oct 2014)

Jan O'Sullivan: The terms of the supervision and substitution arrangements for primary and second level schools were revised under the Public Service Stability Agreement 2013-2016 (Haddington Road Agreement). Under the terms with effect from the beginning of the 2013/14 school year, each teacher is required to provide 43 hours supervision and substitution per annum. This includes providing substitution cover...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: SOLAS Training and Education Programmes Certification (16 Oct 2014)

Jan O'Sullivan: The safe pass programme is operated by SOLAS and they are aware of the issue. I understand that SOLAS are in contact with their UK counterparts on the issue of recognition and I have asked them to contact the Deputy to update him on developments.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: State Examinations (16 Oct 2014)

Jan O'Sullivan: Since I have come into office I have met with parent, teacher and school management representatives and discussed Junior Cycle reform with all these groups. At my invitation, the teacher unions have outlined to me their concerns in relation to aspects of the proposed reforms. In doing so, the unions underlined teacher support for the reforms that will lead to better quality teaching and...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Home Tuition Scheme Provision (16 Oct 2014)

Jan O'Sullivan: I propose to take Questions Nos. 194 to 197, inclusive, together. As previously outlined, parents of children who are eligible for home tuition who sought alternative arrangements to be put in place for the tuition were facilitated and arrangements were put in place with private commercial organisations which provide group tuition to children in a class type setting. Payment in these cases...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Educational Disadvantage (16 Oct 2014)

Jan O'Sullivan: As the Deputy may be aware, the DEIS programme is the subject of ongoing evaluation by both the Educational Research Centre and my Department's Inspectorate who have produced a series of evaluation reports to date, (copies of which are available on my Department's website). I have also recently commissioned a further overall report in relation to DEIS to provide recommendations for a renewal...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs Staff Remuneration (16 Oct 2014)

Jan O'Sullivan: Special Need Assistants (SNA's) are employed by schools or Education and Training Boards. The terms of employment of SNA's are in accordance with agreements reached between school management authorities and the relevant Trade Unions representing SNA's.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Educational Disadvantage (16 Oct 2014)

Jan O'Sullivan: The details supplied by the Deputy consist of a comprehensive submission in relation to the future of DEIS. As the deputy may be aware, the DEIS programme is the subject of ongoing evaluation by both the Educational Research Centre and my Department's Inspectorate who have produced a series of evaluation reports to date, (copies of which are available on my Department's website). I have also...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Riarachán Thionscadail Tógála Scoileanna (16 Oct 2014)

Jan O'Sullivan: Is féidir liom a dheimhniú gur chuir an scoil dá dtagraíonn an Teachta iarratas faoi bhráid ar rangsheomra príomhshrutha breise. Tá 3 rangsheomra príomhshrutha ar fáil don scoil 3 rangsheomra seo. Mar is eol don Teachta, is é is cuspóir thar gach ní eile ag mo Roinnse ná a chinntiú go mbíonn rochtain ag gach...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects Applications (16 Oct 2014)

Jan O'Sullivan: As the Deputy will appreciate, in relation to the school's request for a PE hall, due to the competing demands on my Department's capital budget imposed by the need to prioritise the limited funding available for the provision of essential additional school accommodation to meet increasing demographic requirements, it is not possible to provide for a PE Hall at this time. As previously...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Childcare Education and Training Scheme Administration (16 Oct 2014)

Jan O'Sullivan: Childcare support was introduced in the late 1990s as a way of providing assistance to people participating on specific Further Education programmes who faced barriers returning to education. In 2010, this programme was restructured into the Childcare Education and Training Scheme (CETS) administered by the Department of Children and Youth Affairs. It is not intended to extend the scheme...